The Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) Workboat Code Edition 2 has been launched with the aim of better reflecting the realities of modern workboat operation and redefining working practices and standards for vessel operators.

Developed by a working group led by the National Workboat Association (NWA) in close cooperation with the MCA, Edition 2 has an improved section on stability for modern designs, and improvements relating to vessels engaged in towing, and considers modern vessel applications such as offshore wind crew and equipment transfer – notably ‘pushing on’ for CTVs – and carriage or transfer of dangerous goods.

Kerrie Forster, chair of the National Workboat Association Safety Forum, said: “The Code will certainly be instrumental in supporting our thriving industry – and we call on all of our members, and the wider sector, to use it to its full potential as we collectively aim to uphold the highest possible standards of operation.”

The first edition of the Workboat Code, also known as the ‘Brown Code’ was published in 1998, but was not written with the modern UK workboat fleet in mind.

Workboats represent a fast-growing segment of the UK maritime market, driven by the emergence of new industries such as offshore wind, alongside rising demand for a diverse range of logistical support applications in the wider maritime sector.

By Rebecca Jeffrey